The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-05
DEPEW TALKING INPARIS
A TALK ABOUT DIVERS MATTERS
WITH A PARIS REPORTER.
The Penalty of Talking Back to Ger
man Railway Oficials-French and
German Soldiers - The Prince of
Wales-W olseley.
From the NeW York Sun.

From the NeU York Sun.
PARIS, Sept. POI will illustrate the
autocratic character of European govern
ment railway management by two Incl
dents which l know to be authentic said
Mr.. Chauncey NJ. Depew, the other day, as
he sat in his parlOr at the Hotel d'Albe on
the Champs Elysees. "a party of Ameri-
can students, travelling through Germany.
reached the station just as their train was
starting. An official called out to them not
to attempt getting on; but, as the cars were
moving slowly, they paid no attention to
his caution and stepped aboard. The result
was that at the next stop they were met by
a guard of soldiers, and all marched off
under arrest.
'At first the young Americans treated
the whole affair as huge joke, and in
ouired with mock seriousness when the trial
would come Off But they changed their
tone on being informed that having de-
liberately violated an ordinance of the Ger
man empire, they had been already tried,
convicted, and sentenced to thirty days i'm
prisonment. In fact, before they realized
the gravity of their situation, they were
behind iron bars in the city Jail, and il re-
quired the influence of the American Lega-
ton at Berlin, together with the most
humiliating apologies on their own parts, to
effect their release.
"a friend of mind was the hero of the
other incident, which happened at the
Frankfort depot. He was about to enter a
compartment, where several seats were
vacant, when he distinctly saw one of the
gentlemen inside slip gold piece into the
hand of the guard, who Immediately de-
clared that the compartment was reserved
and that no one else could ride in it, Ny
friend was so angry that he at once accused
the fellow of having received bride, and,
on the charge being denied, he added,
with American dlrectneSS, that the guard
was "a liar and a thief The train moved
off, my friend being forced to find another
seat. At the first station he was arrested
for having insulted a government official,
and finally, after a great deal of trouble,
followed a lawyers advice, made a full
apology, payed all the costs and heavy
fine, and left the country in disgust Just
imagine, if you can, such a thing happen
ing in the United States!
"You ask me what | think of the present
political situation in France. OF course /
have been in the country too short time
to express an opinion as to details, but !
have seen with Unreasonable surprise the
hysterical condition into which the whole
country was thrown by this Boulanger
BOOM The symptoms of disease shown
then were grave enough to disturb the faith
of any one i'll the stability of the French
republic. 1t seemed four or five months ago
as if the people were quite ready for a coup
d'etdt in the name of the idolized baker
But he was not great enough or brave
enough to take the tide of favor at its flood,
and now has sunk back to comparative in
significance. However, when the war
breaks out for the recovery of Alsace and
Lorraine, Boulangers chance may come
again. If Germany wins the first battle,
the French people will rise up as one man,
with overwhelming enthusiasm, call back
their banished hero, and charge him to lead
the armies of France.
of his German rival? That is difficult
question to answer. / know that it is Gus
tomary to laugh at the French troops as
being understood, badly dressed, poorly off
cered, ETC.; and certainly, in point of ex-
ternal appearance, the German soldier
seems to me the ideal of a perfect fighting
machine. They are such large, fine-looking
fellows, and so splendidly disciplined, that
the average tourist at once decides in their
favor But there is another side to the
question. have heard one of our United
States army officers speak in the very high
est terms of the French army, maintaining
that there is no soldier on the face of the
earth like a well-trained Gaul. He claims
that the little Frenchman, with his
fine nervous organization, his wiry, sinewy
frame, his dash, his enthusiasm, and his Bo-
hemian habits, is vastly better prepared to
endure the hardships of fierce campaign,
to march and fight without proper food and
sleep, than is tie German. Certainly, in
our own civil war it was demonstrated over
and over again that the slender city clerk
who would often dance all night and write
all day, could.outfght the rugged farmers
boy who had always lived out of doors, and
had seen the sun rise every morning of his
life But, notwithstanding the opinion of
my military friend, the German army is
the most perfect and magnificent machine |
ever saw.
you ask me if / have anything to say
about England. Well, my impressions of
the Prince of Wales may be of interest. l
had the honor of dining and lunching with
his royal highness and was impressed with
the fact that tue Prince was one of the best
informed Englishmen, particularly on
American affairs, that | ever met. He
takes the most lively and sincere interest in
all that goes ON in the United States, and
Is very earnest i'll the desire that the rela-
tons between the two countries be cordial
and harmonious.
In conversation, the Prince of Wales has
way of almost cross examining the person
with whom he is talking, which enables him
to gain an immense amount of information
that he could not obtain in any other man
utl. L lOuuu ulItA Ql1U6 IdlilllldI WlUu buS
names of our various public men, with what
they have done and are doing, and he
showed, by his questions, profound under
standing of our political situation
Although, as ] said, the Prince has in
conversation this way of cross examination,
it is not dot done at all Extensively; in fact
he is a consummate master of the art of
making every man appear at his
best by encouraging him to speak on sub
Jects that are familiar to him. He possesses
another art. too, which is one of the rarest
and most essential of public gifts that of
paying those he has met the honor of re-
membering them. Notwithstanding the
thousands of persons who are presented to
him every year, the Prince of Wales never
fails to recognize single one of them on a
future occasion, and will often even show
by some delicate allusion that he recalls the
circumstances of the first meeting.
Some people talk a great deal about the
Establishment of a republic i'll England, but
am of the opinion that the cause % mon
archy will be strengthened when the Prince
OF Wales comes TO the throne. Hepossesses
the popular instinct to high degree, and
on listening TO speech which he made in
London, | was astonished at the vigorous
directness of his style He showed great
familiarity with the public needs and a deep
concern in providing for them. Indeed,
Thought that he smoke very much like an